A Smashing Good Time

I love Roger's Park! Seriously. We met so many intriguing people who make bags out of t-shirts, and lovable, stuffed "monsters" and jewelry artists at the Glenwood Arts Festival. Thanks to all of you that stopped by our booth. It was a beautifully successful weekend. David sold lots of prints, a drawing, and drew crowds of people with his bright personality. Although on Saturday we became hot puddles of sweat, Sunday brought the threat of rain and, thankfully, a much cooler temperature. Sarah and I received lovely ten-minute massages. We watched a little puppet show in a colorful booth, which was connected to the back of a bicycle. (It felt a little bit like SF.)

I was asked several times if I was doing any readings anywhere, so this is my next task. If I can muster up the courage, I'll be participating in the open mic night next Wednesday (9/10) at The Heartland Cafe.


In other news, the artist/intellectual commune has been buzzing at the DeRosa home. Jacqui (my unofficial editor and good friend) flew in from NYC, and then left...much too quickly. We packed as much fun as we could into every day. We've been enjoying amazing, homemade mojitos, warm sunshine, and quite a bit of luck from the transportation gods.

My brother, Jason, flew in on Sunday and we promptly put him to work carrying heavy bags of groceries and such. :) David succeeded in making fire (with Sarah's assistance) and fed us some mean hamburgers and sausages off of a tiny grill. The guys splashed in Lake Michigan until the lifeguard yelled that they were too far away. Apparently, you can only go into the lake up to your waist. Any further and you get yelled at.

We went on The Untouchables "Gangster" Tour on Monday and experienced the gritty side of Chicago. We discovered the Ragstock in Wicker Park, which is an extremely cheap and totally awesome clothing store. We wandered into Myobic Books, which would have delighted me except it was far too hot in the store. Then, we took the Blue Line to the Red Line to the parked car to get home. (For those of you who don't live in Chicago, it's an exhilarating adventure just to get around the city. Especially if your trip involves the Downtown.)

Jason's here until Thursday. I'm trying to figure out how much caffeine I'll need in order to stay up late for another couple of nights. (I'd be worried that I was becoming an old lady, but I've always been this way. In fact, I think I'm getting more and more playful as I age. But I'll save that thought for another time.)


Here's to old friends and brothers and new connections and living life to the fullest!